


Monsters

by Alastair



Series: Monsters [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Amputation, Body Horror, Consensual Sex, Corpse Desecration, F/M, Foursome, Foursome - F/M/M/M, Gore, Impregnation, Multi, Polyamory, Sex, Smut, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:41:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alastair/pseuds/Alastair
Summary: In which monsters are released ... Part of the Darker Oneshots Event 2020
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Nami, Nami/Roronoa Zoro, Nami/Vinsmoke Sanji
Series: Monsters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056491
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21
Collections: Darker Oneshots 2020





	Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> At first, I had nothing in mind for this event. I was super interested, but I had no idea what I could possibly do. Until I ran into an old idea.
> 
> And then I rolled death saves D&D style.
> 
> Here's the WARNINGS: Polyamory, Body Mutilation, Gore, Desecration, and Character Death.
> 
> I'm not sorry.

**_Monsters_ **

Nami stretched in the sunlight. The beach was beautiful with sparkling sand, crisp waves, and an abundance of convenient shade to escape the sun’s heat. It would have been perfect, if not for the raucous noise.

The lively music of Brook’s violin while Franky cheered along was fine. Usopp regaling an amazed Chopper and a dubious Jimbei with his false exploits was tolerable. Robin laughing while Zoro quibbled with Sanji was just never-ending. Luffy screaming as he made a running leap off the ship’s lion figurehead into ...

“You idiot!” Nami leaped from the lawn chair and ran into the ocean before diving in.

She heard Robin - who had been lounging beside her - giggle. As a Devil Fruit User like their captain, she could not save him herself. Instead, she trusted Nami.

Swimming to where Luffy had jumped in, she grabbed one of his floaties - which he must have had the foresight to don before jumping - and dragged his head from under the water.

“What were you thinking!?” Nami huffed when he coughed water in her face.

“I’b sowbby!”

“Of all the-!”

“Are you all right, Nami-san!?” Sanji called from the beach.

“I’m fine!” To Luffy, she added, “The floaties don’t support your full weight and you don’t float, idiot! What’s wrong with you!?”

He gurgled what sounded like an apology and an explanation blended together.

Once back on the beach, Usopp shook his head. “I told you that wouldn’t work without a tube!”

Jimbei frowned down at him. “Luffy-kun, you told me those flotation devices would work. Next time, you must not attempt such a thing by yourself.”

Nami stepped on his bloated rubber belly. Water shot out of his mouth while he blubbered, “I’m sohrry!”

Chopper patted his shoulder. “Luffy, I can’t cure stupidity.”

“That’s mean!” Luffy pouted as he sat up, affixing his straw hat onto his head.

“Don’t jump into the water,” half of their crew, including Nami, intoned.

Robin giggled, and in her mellow voice said, “I think you are outnumbered here, captain.”

* * *

Nami stared up in awe.

The jungle island possessed no sign of civilization, so Robin had relaxed with her on the beach for most of the day, forgetting a certain jump into the ocean.

It had been perfect all day, and now there was a meteor shower. Fresh from a shower in her white robe, Nami gazed up, watching the streaking lights from the ship deck.

Sanji waved down at her, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Nami-swan, you’re beautiful in the light of the falling stars!”

“That idiot’s keeping me up,” Zoro grunted from the bench around the mast. He sat up, scowling at the blond man before taking a swig of what ale he still had. Its warmth did not seem to bother him even though he had been sleeping beside it since early afternoon.

Luffy pointed up at the stars, looking back at Nami. “Nami, Nami! Look how cool that is!”’

“I’m already looking!” she laughed.

Below on the beach, Robin walked along the beach toward the bands of lights.

“Hey, Nico Robin!” Franky trailed after her, offering a cola from his stomach fridge, “Gotta have a cola when you’re watching the stars like this!”

Robin didn’t pull her eyes from the falling stars though. “They seem rather close, don’t they?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah, I guess so.” Franky pulled up his sunglasses, squinting up at the night sky.

“Yeah ...” Chopper jogged up from behind, gazing upward. He hunched his shoulders, frowning as he pulled on his hat brim. “Do you guys hear something?”

“Hmm?” Robin cocked her head before her eyes widened. “How strange it sounds.”

“I don’t hear anything.” Usopp frowned. He looked along the horizon and added, “Something’s hitting the ocean!”

Nami looked down at the others on the beach, beginning to frown.

Then she heard it.

It was a long, keening sound as if from the depths of the ocean itself. Shrieking metal on metal. Nami thought it almost sounded like Laboon, except it was wrong. Upside down.

A shiver ran up her spine.

She looked up.

The groan filled her ears as she gaped. The meteors were still falling, but she couldn’t see the stars themselves. Something was blocking them. She clutched the railing just as Luffy hopped onto it, crouching there as he stared.

Did he see the shadow too?

Nami opened her mouth to speak, but Brook spoke first, “What sound are you talking about?”

Robin hummed, “Perhaps it’s the crying of the damned?”

“Don’t say that!” Usopp and Chopper snapped. 

“We can see what fell into the ocean tomorrow when it’s brighter,” Jimbei stated, rubbing his chin as he inspected the ocean.

They didn’t see it. Nami couldn’t tear her eyes away. “There’s something up there.”

Luffy looked at her. “Huh?”

She blinked. The shadow shifted, and she thought she could see something else falling in front of it. Other shapes.

Nami began to breathe faster, and she backed away toward her room. She couldn’t look away.

“Nico Robin!”

Looking down, she watched something drag itself onto the beach. There were too many limbs. Too many joints. It opened its jaw. There were no lips.

A laser shot out.

The beam raced through the water. It evaporated what it touched. 

It struck Robin in the chest. She crumbled, a raisin too long in the sun.

Franky reached out too late. His eyes widened as his arm was grazed. He fell, as well. He appeared to have curled into a fetal ball.

Luffy turned, pointing at her. “Protect Nami!”

She gasped, as one, the three on the ship rushed towards her, yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

They were all too far.

The terrible sight stretched into slow-motion before her.

Usopp - brave Usopp - ran to Franky. He kneeled over the fallen, curled body as if there was something he could do. He looked up when the laser came back around. His spine curled backward, his long nose pointing back at them.

Nami screamed. She held her hand up as if it would stop the beam. Sanji pulled her down first. Her back hit the wall instead of the deck, and the breath left her as Zoro collided against them.

Tears blurred her eyes, same as for Chopper. He turned, running back to them. He didn’t see the laser when it struck him. The horrendous puckering pulled his skin back so that his fur prickled like a cactus.

Brook and Jimbei glanced at one another before nodding.

Nami shrieked, “No!”

“Aye, Captain!” Was their cry.

Her heart froze. Luffy could only protect so many of them.

He had chosen her.

The others were too far down the beach.

The two older warriors stepped forward. Brook, a tall skeleton with an afro, took three steps before he fell. His bones tumbled apart.

The cutting wave from Jimbei hit the creature. Something else seemed to slice across it only a few moments later - Brook’s delayed attack. Jimbei, the blue Fishman with whale shark features, still stood where he died. His scaled skin flaked away as his body fell forward.

The creature shuddered, and the laser flickered to a stop.

Nami screamed, “Luffy!”

In its last instant, the laser touched the fingertips of his left hand. Nami witnessed in slow motion as the shriveling crept up his arm. She flinched when something wet splashed across her eyes, blinding her. She screamed.

They were saying something, Zoro and Sanji. Someone wiped the hot fluid from her face, but she couldn’t stop screeching.

Someone grabbed her chin, and lips touched hers.

It shocked her enough to open her eyes. Luffy stood above her.

“Get up!”

She looked to the side, and her vision teetered. Zoro wiped blood from his blade, facing the beach, ready for more. Sanji had taken off his suit jacket. He wasn’t even bothering to dress down Luffy for what he had just done.

He was carefully wrapping his jacket around Luffy’s stump.

She blinked and tears fell down her cheeks. Relief.

Horrible relief.

Luffy was still with them, but the others weren’t.

“Nami, get up!” He pulled her up with his right arm.

She stood, knees wobbling. Sanji had covered it, but something in her stomach felt unsettled.

Her eyes hit the shriveled, dead limb on the grassy deck. Nami turned away with a lurch. Her stomach heaved. It could have been Luffy’s entire body, however, and her stomach settled. Luffy was alive.

Luffy saw where her eyes had been, so he reached down for his wrinkled arm and chucked it off of the ship. Nami’s stomach turned again, but at least, the thing wasn’t on the ship any longer.

“We gotta go!” Zoro shouted.

Nami’s heart panged, and she shook, “The - the others ...”

Luffy hissed when Sanji tightened the cloth around his stump a bit too hard. “Set sail.”

“They’re coming for the ship!”

Sanji cursed, gritting his teeth. “More laser guys?”

“No ... I don’t know,” Zoro looked shaken. Crouched low, he peered through the railing. “I have no idea ...”

“What do you mean you don’t know, moss head!?”

“ _ You _ look at them!”

Their bickering ceased.

Sanji glanced at his work with Luffy’s arm before he - crawling so as to not be seen - looked out over the side of the ship. He grimaced, eyes narrowing before he pulled back with a pained expression.

“Let’s go!”

Nami sniffled, looking at the beach. Something out there moved. She pulled Luffy along to sit on the bench by the wheel. He clutched the area just above his stump, wincing, but he did not argue.

“Luffy, stay here. Zoro! Sanji-kun! Get the sails down! Point us toward 1 o’clock!”

Luffy said, “Stay in sight of the island.”

She looked down at him in shock. “Luffy ...?”

“We gotta get away ... but we’re not running.” His eyes stared hard through her. “They’re not getting away from us, either.”

Nami shivered, but nodded. “Right.”

Once the ship was away from the island, Nami let down the anchor before squinting into the dark of night. The meteor shower had stopped during the attack and their hectic flight. She didn’t know when it had ceased, and she no longer cared.

It had brought disaster.

However, her first concern was her captain. She turned back to Luffy, and hoisted him to his feet by supporting him under his right arm. Luffy felt lighter, and she tried to not think of why as she pulled him along to the infirmary.

Nami rolled the bed around so that when Luffy laid down, the stump faced her. He was still bleeding and Sanji’s jacket was not clean. Moving fast, Nami grabbed all the gauzes in the desk, setting it on top of Luffy’s chest before she blinked a bit in surprise. There was some blood on the gauze already.

She looked at her hands, pale, breathing hard, until Luffy murmured, “I’m sorry I got you dirty.”

Her head snapped up, staring at him before she touched her cheek.  _ Right. That's what hit my face. _ Fighting down her hysterics from the realization, Nami pulled gloves on. Washing had to wait. There was too much bleeding.

She braced herself before she pulled the jacket off. She layered gauze over the stump, applying pressure. His eyes closed, and Nami whispered, “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me,  _ please  _ ...”

“Just ... resting ...” he sighed. “I’m tired ...”

Nami felt tears streaming down her cheeks, mixing with the blood of her captain already there.

“Don’t go! Please, don’t leave me. Luffy, don’t ... don’t go ...”

* * *

Nami blinked, stirring as she lifted her head. She had passed out on the desk. For a moment, she stared at the wall, blinking again.

Sogeking’s autograph hung there.

Luffy and Chopper hadn’t realized it was Usopp.

And now Chopper and Usopp ...

She sat up, rolling the chair to Luffy’s side, and she checked his pulse.

After she had somehow gotten the blood to stop, she had stitched the stump as best she could. Nami never thought she would be so thankful for his rubber skin. It had stretched to cover the wound so well.

Nami released a deep sigh as Luffy’s pulse fluttered under her fingertips. She then sobbed, pressing her forehead on his shoulder.

“Luffy, what would we do without you?”

“Idiot.” She looked up, staring at Zoro. He usually looked hard, but he was now expressionless. He didn’t even smirk.

“How are you doing?”

“I should be asking you that.” He scanned her over, eye narrowing before he sighed.

Nami asked, “What did you two see out there?”

Zoro went still as he said, “More of those strange creatures. I think they saw us, but they didn’t shoot after us.”

“Maybe those ones can’t?” She whispered, biting her lip.

“Maybe.” He didn’t look convinced.

Nami dropped her eyes before she said, “Thank you.”

Instead of scolding her like she expected, he murmured, “Luffy’s Observation Haki has gotten so good, it’s almost spooky.”

Her eyes widened as she lifted her head, “Huh?”

Zoro touched his temple, staring into nothing. “I would never doubt him, but I’ll always ... always wonder what he saw. Some of the others were still alive when he-”

“Stop it!” Nami snapped. She felt the tears in the corners of her eyes. Luffy was not cruel, but was it true?

Had Luffy seen something even worse?

_ “Protect Nami!” _

Her stomach lurched. Brook and Jimbei had stepped up so valiantly. Poor Chopper had been terrified beyond imagining. Usopp had tried to help the others who had already died!

What was worse to Luffy?

“We thought we had more time.” His smirk appeared wry. “Luffy must’ve known we had run out.”

Brow furrowing, she looked up at Zoro before her eyes trailed over to their captain. It felt like he was talking about something else then. He had turned to another page.

Zoro’s hand landed on her shoulder. “You’re still covered in blood. Go take a shower. I can watch Luffy.”

She touched her cheek - still dry - before she nodded, feeling numb. “Right ...”

Zoro took up sitting with his back against the door facing the stern. As Nami was about to leave, he said, “Stay close, okay?”

Nami looked back at him, considering. The way he gazed at her made her think of how all three of them dove for her. Their faces constricted in pain and fear.

Nami took one more look at Luffy before she sighed, and headed up to the bathroom to take another shower. Zoro’s gaze followed her.

Sanji stood by the railing, smoking two cigarettes at once. He was opening and closing his lighter with increasing force. After a moment, he asked, “How’s Luffy?”

“Sleeping,” she whispered, and she blinked away tears, trying not to let him hear it in her voice. “I changed the dressings, and it stopped bleeding, so ...”

He inhaled through the cigarette, and smoke blew out over the ocean. “Get washed up, Nami-san. It’s my turn to watch right now.”

The air felt stagnant. The black flag was limp on the mast, and the sails they had used less than an hour before sagged from their beams. For a moment, she wondered if the  _ Thousand Sunny _ itself was feeling their heavy loss like the  _ Going Merry _ before.

Where was the little Klabautermann to warn them of  _ this _ ? How was this not the worst thing that could happen?

Nami nodded to him before she stepped back, heading for the bathroom. Taking off the bloodsoaked robe, she tossed it into the laundry hamper before stepping into the bathroom. She hesitated. Glancing up at the large window, she chewed her lip before she headed to it. She peered out into the night.

It was even darker than it had been mere moments before, but she didn’t think that it was for lack of sun. As she gazed out, she realized what Zoro had meant. She now saw what he had.

She could no longer see the stars.

A terrible sensation of dread washed through her veins. They needed to turn out the lights.

If it wasn’t dead - if those things Zoro and Sanji saw could  _ see them  _ \- she wanted to cut the lights or else the moths would swarm. Did they have wings or could they swim? Did those things even need light?

She had heard about snakes that could see via heat.

Could their crew afford to turn off the lights? The others had Haki to sense them, sure, but she only had her eyes and ears. And hearing something splashing toward her, creeping toward her like that thing that had dragged itself onto the beach, was a most horrifying thought. Would the last thing she saw be that cold, white light?

The sound of a shriek scraping the inside of her ear echoed in the night air.

* * *

Nami woke from troubled sleep.

She blinked up at Luffy’s face, and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest before she blinked away tears. Sitting up, Nami realized she had fallen asleep with her head on his stomach. Nami considered the bandages, wondering if it was time to change them, or even safe enough to take the pressure off. She turned to Chopper’s books, searching through them for all of the information she could glean to continue caring for him.

When her stomach rumbled, she went to the kitchen. She paused in the doorway when she spied Sanji standing in front of the fridge. His head was bowed down, forehead pressed against the metal.

Freezing, Nami stared at his long back before she whispered, “Sanji-kun?”

He gasped, and he turned a wet, uncovered eye to her. “Ah, Nami-san!” He rubbed at his eye then, and tried to smile. “Good morning. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No, you didn’t,” she whispered, and she attempted the same smile. Nami looked at the fridge, wondering what might be easy to make for breakfast until she remembered.

To open the fridge required a certain code - a silly amalgamation of their names. Hers, Sanji’s, and Robin’s.

It was no wonder then that Sanji was hesitant.

Nami straightened, and nodded her head hard, “Let’s have oatmeal!”

His eye widened, and he leaned back, “Oatmeal?”

“Yeah! Nice, quick and easy!” And nothing was required from the fridge or freezer.

She went to fill the whistling kettle with water, and after a moment, Sanji moved to go to the larder for the oats and brown sugar. He had seemed to understand then. His kind smile was more genuine when he came out.

It warmed her more than she thought it ever would.

As she ate her simple oatmeal, Nami asked, “How does it look out there?”

He frowned. “Ah, the sun isn’t up.”

Nami frowned in confusion, glancing out the porthole. It was still dark out. She hadn’t even noticed.

She sighed. “I guess I didn’t sleep well ...”

“Ah, well, no ...” Sanji paused. He glanced back at her before he sighed. “Come out onto the deck and you’ll see.”

Nami followed Sanji, and stopped in the door's arch, staring. The only light came from the ship. Around them was pitch black. Nami looked at the clock in the kitchen, but it appeared correct as far as she could tell.

The sudden urge to turn off the lights returned. Nami drew back. It felt as if she would disappear if she stepped outside, so she hovered there upon the threshold.

When Sanji headed for the railing, Nami stared after him before she took a step forward onto the grassy deck. When nothing happened, Nami sighed, and jogged to catch up with him. She tried to tell herself that it wasn’t because she wanted to stay close to someone. The darkness felt like it was reaching for her.

Nami realized she was breathing hard as she stared out into what appeared to be nothing. She could see the sea below, lapping at the hull. The rhythmic splash of the ocean did not reassure her.

She remembered the thought of something swimming up to the side of the ship and climbing up.

That thing with no lips and too many limbs and joints ...

She jumped when Sanji spoke, and called herself ten different names for a fool. “At first, I thought it was cloudy, but ...”

Something had been blocking the sky last night. Something she hadn’t seen. She tried to squint at the sky, and she rubbed her arm as if cold. Except, it was rather warm.

Nami tried to concentrate on that, feeling the air like she did while navigating. 

There was no wind.

That was impossible. They were nowhere near the Calm Belt.

Swallowing nothing, Nami turned to Sanji. “Turn  _ Sunny _ ’s eye lights on.”

Sanji considered her before turning to head up to the wheel. Nami followed again, holding her breath as she waited.

As the lights flickered on, unused since their dip into the deep sea, Nami wondered if they weren’t somehow down below again.

Beside her, Sanji whispered, “Shit.”

The ominous gray, undulating wall that  _ Thousand Sunny _ lit up surrounded them. With the lights to help, Nami squinted in search of the island and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw its silhouette.

They could still go back for the bodies at least.

She felt tears well up in her eyes,  _ We’re coming for you guys ... Captain’s orders. _

To keep her head straight, she turned to inspect the strange wall again. The wall swelled and rippled. Nami thought it appeared to be breathing. Was this the thing that had blocked out the stars earlier? And now it blocked out even the sun. She tried to look up, but the light stopped before she could see the ceiling.

She shivered, hugging herself. “What the hell is going on?”

Nami’s head jerked up when she heard something clatter in the kitchen. She ran towards the noise, but Sanji darted ahead.

“Hey! That better be you, shitty swordsman!” Sanji shouted. While she was halfway to the door, Sanji entered the kitchen and stopped at the door in confusion. His head swung left and right as he scowled. “Shit ...”

Her eyes widened when she saw the infirmary’s open door. Through it, she could see the door that led to the stern of the ship was also wide open, swinging as if something had passed by.

Nami shoved Sanji aside, “Luffy!”

She bent over him, looking over his prone form before looking out the back door.

Nothing.

Swallowing hard, she pulled back when Sanji ran to the deck. “Don’t worry, Nami-san. Check on Luffy.”

“Yeah.” She bent over their captain, checking his pulse - slow, steady - and then his temperature with her hand. He seemed fine. Sighing hard, she slumped before she raised her head as Sanji came back in.

He shut and locked the door behind him, grimacing. “Damn it ...”

Nami looked up at him, trying to be hopeful. “Maybe it was nothing ...”

“No ... something was in here.” He scowled out the porthole before he sighed. “I’ll go around and lock all the doors.”

Nami shivered in the sickbay, waiting.

* * *

The doors were locked. She glanced out the porthole whenever it crossed her mind. She thought about it a lot.

Sanji came in now and again after a knock so he could bring in plate after plate for the patient. He slept away, snoring even as Luffy shoved food into his mouth. Sometimes his stump twitched as if it was trying to grab food too, but then it went still.

She fought the urge to cry every time.

Nami tried to look back at her book. Nothing could keep her attention, however. She looked at the porthole again, and she wrapped her arms around her knees. What if whatever it was came back while Zoro and Sanji went to do something else?

Should they sail away?

_ Captain’s orders, _ she thought.

_ “They’re not getting away from us either.” _

Nami clenched her hands into fists.  _ No, they won’t. _

“Nnh ... Nami ...?”

She jumped to her feet. “Luffy!”

Nami smiled down at him, reaching over to clutch his hand.

He blinked. “Nami, where’s ...?”

The pain crossed his face, but then it hardened. She blinked, staring down at him in surprise. He had been about to cry, but he had stopped it.

She whispered, taking his hand, “Zoro and Sanji are getting more food ready, okay? Just rest.” She called back to the others, “He’s awake!”

* * *

Luffy frowned, sitting up in the sickbed. They had told him everything that had happened during his slumber, and he had asked few questions.

Most of the time, he stared into nothing.

_ He’s not crying ... _ Nami thought, watching him.

She wanted to cry for him. Nami realized that maybe he couldn’t cry - not in front of her. She was the one they had protected. She hadn’t asked why it was her. It was just dumb luck that she had been with those three.

Luffy said, “We’re giving all of them a funeral.”

They stared at him. Then Zoro nodded. “That’s right.”

Sanji narrowed his eyes, but he nodded.

Frowning, Nami opened her mouth, yet it snapped shut in the next moment.

The sun was hidden behind that strange, gray  _ thing _ .

Nami stared up in despair at Zoro and Sanji, clutching hands into tight fists upon her lap. Sanji lit his fourth cigarette that hour. His habit had become excessive.

Zoro grunted. “I’ll head out to the island. If all we need are their bodies, I’ll get them.”

“You wouldn’t be able to find your way back even if we lit up all the lights on  _ Sunny _ . You’d get lost trying to reach the island.” Sanji pointed at him.

The swordsman grimaced at him, leaning in. “You think I can’t see a light!?”

“I think you’re dumber than a moth!”

“All I have to do is aim for that stupid eyebrow, Dartboard!”

“Stop it!” Nami stood, shoving the two away from each other. They had leaned in toward each other in that way they did to intimidate the other. She jammed a finger into their chests. “You’re both going! There’s too many of them to make it all in one trip with just one of you - never mind Zoro’s lack of a sense of direction or - or-” She cut herself off, gritting her teeth as she tried not to think about that thing scrabbling onto the shore.

“Or sense,” Sanji muttered. She shot him a sharp look, and he knuckled his forehead. “Sorry, Nami-san, but won’t that leave just you and Luffy? And he’s in no shape to-” He glanced at their captain and seemed to give a start. “Idiot fell asleep again ...”

Cringing, Nami checked on him, feeling his temperature and pulse before she sighed. Luffy had slumped back against the wall, snoring.

She felt more queasy, but she smiled back at them regardless. “I’ll protect Luffy. It’s just my turn again. It’ll be like Whole Cake Island and the Seducing Woods all over. You won’t even take  _ half _ the time it took for that to be done with!”

She realized she sounded too cheerful when Zoro and Sanji both said nothing for much too long.

However, Zoro said, “We’ll leave him to you then.”

“Call my name, and I’ll come running for you, Nami-swan!” Sanji kneeled, bowing his head over her hand.

She smiled. She felt like screaming.

* * *

She did not tell them that they - tough and rumble men that they both were - looked ridiculous aboard the adorable  _ Mini-Merry _ with its sheep figurehead. Nami didn’t have to in all honesty. They seemed more somber aboard it though.

Even she could feel it. The  _ Going Merry _ had been the only one they had ever lost before last night.

They were down below in the Docking System still. Nami watched from the little dock beside the  _ Mini-Merry _ .

_ We’ll send them to you soon,  _ Merry _. _ She clasped her hands together, praying to their old friend.  _ Take care of them in our stead. There are new friends to keep you company too. _

Tears threatened her eyes, and her breath caught, but she kept control. She couldn’t show them that as they left.

When they returned with their friends, then she could allow it. Not even alone.

Maybe then, even Luffy could cry.

That thought almost released her own floodgates. Luffy, unable to cry so she would not feel bad. Luffy, who had done so much for all of them.

She touched her lips while Zoro and Sanji were arguing over who would steer.

She gazed up at the two, watching their faces as they bickered.

Some things never changed, but did Zoro look a bit tired? Was Sanji’s visible eye red around the rim? This would not be the last time she saw them, would it?

They had done so much for her too.

All at once, Nami grabbed their collars to tug them closer to her level. She planted a kiss on their cheeks before shoving them back. The fluttering in her stomach felt different then, but she almost preferred this to the other nauseating feeling.

Sanji gaped, his hand touching a cheek. “Nami-san?”

She smiled up at their stunned features, and her voice no longer quavered, “Come back home soon.”

* * *

Nami turned to tasks to take her mind off of the fact that she was the only one awake and healthy on the ship.

First, she checked Luffy’s vitals. He felt warm, but the thermometer said his temperature was still in an acceptable range. The weather had peaked in temperature since last night, and she could feel an increase in pressure and humidity. That explained Luffy’s rise in heat, but not the island’s.

She lifted the blanket to check his bandages, and her nose crinkled. For a moment, a spike of concern needled inside her. She checked the stump, searching for any sign of infection while she changed the bandage, but she found nothing wrong.

The heat had made Luffy smell rather  _ ripe _ .

Nami smiled.  _ I’d charge him if he was awake for it. The lucky captain doesn’t even know what he’s missing! _

Peeling off the blankets, Nami wetted a sponge and went to work. Nami paused over his long jean shorts when she finished with what was visible, and her thoughts turned to him kissing her. What  _ had _ that been about?

_ Was it  _ really _ just to bring me back to my senses? _

Realizing her hand was hovering over the button of his jeans, Nami pulled back as if scalded. She would have said the room was warmer, but it was only her face.

But she needed to clean him. Blood still caked his jeans.

The sponge had made the water basin pink. She dumped the basin and then stared at his crotch much longer than she had ever intended.

Calling herself a fool, she pulled the hem of his pants down only a few centimeters in search of an undergarment. With her luck as of late, she was almost expecting him to be commando.

Releasing a breath she had not known she was holding, Nami undid his button and pulled off his crusty, bloody shorts. Smiling daisies greeted her eyes, and - maybe  _ Merry _ was smiling up at her - not a drop of blood stained his boxers.

Nami finished wiping around the boxers, and she even dared to wipe a bit under the hem. Dumping the basin again, she inspected the pair of jeans, wondering if they could salvage them. She looked at her captain, lying in just his underthings, and managed another blush. At the very least, she needed to get him a fresh pair of jean shorts. Or perhaps something softer since all he was doing was resting and healing.

Nami gazed down over his peaceful face and chewed her lip. She slid her hand up to feel his pulse, and then it slipped up his arm, then over his shoulder. His throat.

She cupped his face, and bent over him. “You idiot ... You didn’t have to do this for me. I’d have taken that for you in a heartbeat ... Is that what you saw?”

“‘S cold,” he muttered. His black eyes flickered open.

Nami flung herself back. “I - I’m getting you a change of pants right now!”

When she turned to the door, he said, “Careful ...”

She froze, looking back. “Huh?”

His eyes closed though, and she heard the soft beginning of a snore.

She almost stayed, but looking back at him just made her remember being so close to him as he opened his eyes. Was that more terrifying than what was out there?

Nami cursed herself, closing the door before looking around the empty kitchen.

It was quiet.

_ Of course, it’s quiet. Those two big lugs aren’t fighting! _ Well, she had no way to prove  _ that _ , but they were not fighting  _ here _ .

Nami walked up to the porthole of the door, peering out with a frown. They had turned off most of the lights, but they had left on just enough to let them walk without stumbling. She could see the other side of the deck. Nami squinted and then felt a shiver.

The door to the men’s room was open.

They had locked all the doors after that strange sound - just a precaution. She drew back, staring before shaking it off.

They had forgotten to close it! Or ...

The idiots were just back and hadn’t announced themselves.

Nami exited the kitchen and locked the door behind her. She was halfway across the grassy deck when she realized that it was still too quiet.

They weren’t fighting.

She stopped, staring at the open door. It was dark inside, and all she heard was the lapping of the waves. She tried to feel for the wind, looking at her Log Pose, but there was nothing.

Glancing up again, Nami swallowed. She couldn’t even imagine where the top of this strange dome was. She dared to look back at the kitchen door, but it was still shut, and there was nothing behind her. Still, her teeth chattered, and she pulled out her Clima Tact.

She snuck to the door and waited, listening, before she reached around for the wall to find the light switch.

In front of the men’s lockers was a pile of their clothes. They would have to clean all of this up after everything was all over. The lockers were all open too, and while she wasn’t certain which locker belonged to whom, she knew Sanji wasn’t this sloppy at least.

Nami took a quick glimpse around the room, noting the kotatsu on one side and all the wooden beds hanging from the ceiling on the other. Cautious, Nami locked the door shut behind her before going over to the other door to make sure that had been locked at least. It was.

She turned, pursing her lips before she squeezed her Clima Tact to make it longer. Poking at the wooden hammocks one by one, she confirmed that nothing inhabited them before she looked at the pile of clothes again.

Something else was bothering her about it. She didn’t think all of their clothes were there. Some clothes seemed to be missing.

She poked at the pile once, twice, and then thwacked it hard before she sighed.

Nothing seemed to hide inside. She scratched her cheek with a hum before she stepped over to grab a pair of his shorts. She sniffed it and decided this still smelled better than he had before.

With a look around the room again, she gathered herself up for the walk back to the kitchen.

When she looked up at the door, something pulled away from inside the porthole, and she stepped back in shock. The shadow had seemed familiar for a moment, however, that would be impossible.

They were dead.

She stared at the porthole, holding her breath.

_ “I’ll protect Luffy. It’s just my turn again.” _

Nami cringed before she headed for the door, trying not to think about it - the more she did, the more she wanted to run back. She unlocked the door and threw it open.

Even so, she hoped.

“Usopp!?”

No one answered, and she looked back and forth before shutting and locking the door. She ran to the kitchen with the pants in hand.

The sound of metallic screeching filled her ears.

* * *

Luffy had woken up long enough to help get his pants on, but as he laid back, looking tired, Nami gripped his hand.

“Don’t.”

He peered up at her. “Nami ...?”

“Don’t go just yet. I’m sorry. I know you’re tired, but Zoro and Sanji aren’t back yet.”

“Where’d they go?”

“The island. They’re getting everyone back, but ...” She squeezed his hand. “I just feel like we should have heard from them by now, you know?”

“They’re strong, Nami,” he grinned at her, and he squeezed back.

Her face crumbled, and she whispered, “But I’m not. We lost everyone else. Luffy, we lost them. I can’t ... They can’t make me wait like this!” She shook with the struggle to not cry. It was getting harder by the hour.

“You’re strong,” he said, and he took his hand from hers to cup her cheek. “You’re the strongest I know.”

Her heart constricted before she drew back with a flush. “Luffy ...!”

She reached up to grab his hand, but then just held it there.

Luffy smiled, tilting his head. His eyes were a warm black that held her gaze.

Standing up, Nami blurted, “I’m sorry, you - you really should get that sleep. I’ll just step out for a bit!”

Luffy pouted as she stepped away, but he laid his head back down. “All right, Nami ...”

With a flush, Nami fled to the kitchen to get away from his gaze, and she clutched a fist to her chest, trying to breathe like a normal person.

What was going on with her? First, he kissed her - it was just to break her out of her daze! Then, she had kissed Zoro and Sanji’s cheeks - it was just to wish them good luck! And now, she was making eyes with her captain ...

She was the only woman on the ship now.

And she was surrounded by three men.

_ Why am I flirting with them? Because I’m scared? Alone?  _ She bit her lip and hugged herself.

Nami sat down at the dining room table to lay her head on it.

_ But I’m not alone with them ... _

* * *

When she woke up, she found herself gazing at the kitchen’s porthole. Outside, she could see a figure sitting out on the railing in the dark. She crept up to the door to peer out for a closer look. Seeing Luffy surprised her.

As he stared off the ship toward the starboard, Nami watched him before she stepped out. He seemed to be looking out toward the island.

“Luffy ...?” she whispered.

He twitched and then turned his head to eye her. In the dark, it was hard to see his face.

Something in his demeanor made her hold back, but she took a deep breath to plow forward regardless, “I’m sorry about earlier ...” She blushed, “I ... I’m just so scared right now. I don’t ... I don’t want to lose you. As a friend or ... or any other way.”

His head tilted, seeming to consider her.

When his silence stretched on, Nami stepped closer. “I don’t want to lose any of you ...” Her face screwed into pain, struggling not to cry, but her voice wavered anyway. “I never wanted that. It was hard when it was the  _ Going Merry _ . It’s a thousand times worse when it’s half the crew!” She tried to sniff her nose which felt like running. “I want to tell you all something when Zoro and Sanji get back.”

He lowered his head, eyes still watching her. She approached him, caressing his back. In the dark, his eyes flickered to her hand before going back to her face. Nami shivered.

She had never seen them so intense.

“I don’t know if you’ll like it or not ... but just remember ... I don’t want to lose you.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. His eyes widened as she whispered with a soft smile, “You should get back to bed, Captain.”

“Captain,” he repeated, his brow twitching.

_ “Protect Nami!” _

Nami felt her heart thud.

_ Brook and Jimbei glanced at one another before nodding. _

_ Nami shrieked, “No!” _

_ “Aye, Captain!” Was their cry. _

Nami took another deep breath before she put her hands on her hips. “You’ll always be my captain. We’ll get everyone’s bodies back. Those were your orders, right?”

He seemed to filter through that information before he said, “Right.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. Her grin slipped away a moment later, staring at him before she whispered, “Thank you for protecting me, Luffy.”

He eyed her, and Nami blushed, turning away to head back to the kitchen.

“Ah, right, forget it! It was nothing.”

It had been the very least that Luffy could do for one of his crewmates. She shouldn’t have even mentioned it.

Nami glanced back at him over her shoulder at the door, watching him. He tilted his head to the other side before turning back to face outward.

Frowning in some concern, she waited, wondering if he would follow before she closed the door behind her, leaving it unlocked.

If she made him a quick snack, perhaps he would perk up for her. Nami looked over what was in the fridge - trying not to think about what the code to open the fridge lock meant - before she pulled out a few ingredients. This time, she would not charge him.

Humming away, she smiled when she found some chicken chunks and scallions, and went to work on making skewers. It would be a simple way to sneak some vegetables into him for a change.

Later, when she pulled out the skewers from the oven, she put it out onto the counter to rest. She looked out onto the deck, frowning when she didn’t see Luffy. Giving another glance around the deck, she came back inside, and locked the door shut. A bit perturbed, Nami checked the sickbay, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He must have slipped back inside behind her back.

Going in, Nami smiled as she sat down to brush aside the hair from his face. “Luffy? Are you awake? I made skewers.”

He stirred, and smiled after a long yawn. “G’morning, Nami ...” His nose twitched then, and he sniffed the air. “Oh! That smells good!” Luffy sat up and swung his legs around with a grunt.

“Stay right there! You’ve done enough moving around today,” she said, and Luffy raised an eyebrow. Nami went back to the kitchen to make a plate which she brought back.

Luffy was staring at her, his head tilted before he said, “You feeling any better?”

“Ah, yeah, after our little talk,” she trailed off, and she looked away to hide her blush. “When the others get back, I can tell you what I wanted to say.”

But he only seemed confused. He opened his mouth.

“Nami-san!”

Tensing, Nami glanced at Luffy, and his brow quirked. He seemed more awake now. His eyes watched her. It felt like he could read her mind.

Nami, however, turned her thoughts to who Zoro and Sanji were bringing back.

When they entered the infirmary, she stared at down-turned faces. However, something seemed off. It was not quite the kind of sadness she could imagine from carrying their friends’ bodies. They almost seemed disturbed.

She licked dry lips. “What’s wrong?”

“We couldn’t find them,” Zoro said, rubbing a temple.

As a chill ran through her, Sanji said, “There was nothing on the beach. We tried combing the jungle, but ... they’re not there.”

Nami stood up, clutching her hands to quell her stomach. “They ... they couldn’t just walk away, so ...” She swallowed nothing, thinking of the figure she had seen. Had she really seen Usopp? “What did those things do?”

The loud, whining wail filled the air.

Her hair rose on the back of her neck, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She trembled.

It sounded like something that echoed as it was hitting the deep reaches of the ocean and reverberating back into the air. It pierced her. She gasped for a breath, and she realized then.

She was screaming. Nami couldn’t remember when she had started, but she couldn’t stop. That sound filled her ears.

Someone was talking to her. She shook her head. Someone grasped her cheeks and kissed her. Nami gasped, but when his lips left, she sobbed.

That sound!

Another kiss. Another set of lips. A beard tickled her chin.

Someone sucked onto her tongue.

Nami blinked, gasping for air. Her vision blurred back into place, and she panted. She felt flushed, and she wasn’t certain why. Nami stared up at the three men looking down at her worriedly.

Dazed, she pressed a hand to her forehead. “What just ...?”

Luffy clutched her to his chest and she flushed red. “You were screaming forever!”

Nami bit her lip, wondering why they felt so bruised. She shivered as Sanji pressed against her. Looking at Zoro, she watched as he scratched his red cheek, and he said, “You wouldn’t stop.”

“I’m sorry, Nami-san! Our lips aren’t meant to sully your own!”

Her eyes widened, and a dark red blush covered her face as it dawned on her.

She looked at all three men in shock, looking from Sanji to Zoro and then to Luffy. She thought she would die of embarrassment. They had all kissed her like Luffy had!

Luffy gripped her wrist. “What were you screaming for?”

She shook her head, gripping her hair as she stuttered, “That sound... I hate it. I just hate it.”

“What sound?” Zoro’s eyes narrowed, and she stared at him in surprise.

“That groaning ...” She trailed off, watching them stare at her with blank features. “Didn’t you hear it?”

“A mystery sound?” Luffy mused, rubbing his chin.

Sanji sniffed at him, then said to Nami, “What does it sound like? Is it a voice?”

She shook her head after a moment, “I don’t think so. It’s just alien. It sounds like grinding metal.”

After a moment, Sanji hummed. “Didn’t Robin-chan and Chopper say they heard something? Before that thing came out? Maybe only women and animals can hear it?”

Nami blinked, trying to remember.

Zoro nodded. “Robin called it the screams of the damned or something. I remember that. I didn’t hear anything though.”

“I suppose, it’s something like that, but without a voice.” Nami squinted before she shivered, hugging herself.

Luffy frowned and grasped her hand. He pulled her in for a firm kiss, and she gasped. He grinned. “It’ll be okay. We’re gonna get them back, and we’ll kiss you so the sound doesn’t bother you anymore.”

She flushed. It felt like steam was coming out of her ears as she stared back at him.

Sanji barked at him, “You can’t just do that to Nami-san!”

“But we just did,” Luffy said.

Zoro scowled, blushing red. “You can’t share a woman either!”

“Ah ... why not?” Luffy glanced at them with a cocked head, and Zoro twitched.

Nami lifted her chin, lips pursed. “Why do you think I don’t want to?”

“I love you too, Nami-san!” Sanji grasped her hands.

She smiled as Zoro’s blush deepened. “You - you don’t know what you’re saying!”

Sniffing, Nami snapped. “I’m a grown woman, thank you very much! I know exactly what I’m saying! I can decide for myself! I-”

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

Usopp peered in through the porthole, eyes wide and wild as he gazed inside.

She shrieked, pointing in shock.

They all turned to look, but Usopp’s face disappeared into the dark.

“No, no, no, it’s not ... He died!”

Zoro’s eye twitched. “You ... you’re sure they’re dead?”

“Usopp ...” Luffy tried to get up, but Nami pushed him back onto the bed.

“It’s not him! That can’t be him!”

“Nami-san’s right. He’d have tried to talk to us. Maybe it’s his body, but it’s not him anymore,” Sanji lit a cigarette, scowling.

“They - they shriveled up though. They wouldn’t look normal anymore!”

They looked away in pain, and Zoro even lowered his head. Then he asked, “Why was he watching us?”

Nami blushed as she realized it might have seen them kissing. Had it followed the sound of her screams?

Luffy ordered, “Get it off  _ Sunny _ .”

“Got it, Captain,” Zoro said.

Sanji glanced back at them, but said, “All right, Captain.”

Nami pushed Luffy back into the bed when he tried to get up too. He pouted. “Hey, Nami! I wanna help!”

“You’ll help better by resting right here!” With such said, and with Luffy about to protest more, she plopped down onto his lap, smirking. “This’ll keep you here!”

He stared down at her sitting there for what seemed like a long minute before his eyes widened into the size of dinner plates as he processed what she had done. Sanji’s cigarette dropped from his lips as a grim shadow cast over his eye.  _ Zoro _ ’s face lit up red before he rushed out the door.

Nami raised a brow at this, and stored the information away for later.  _ Zoro’s a shy boy, huh? _

“Damn you ... rubber idiot ...”

She cooed to the angry cook, “Sanji-kun, if you two get back in time ...”

“I’ll take care of it right away, my darling!”

After he danced away for a promise she hadn’t even articulated, Nami shifted to get off of Luffy’s lap, but his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against him.

She turned to glance at him in shock, only to feel something grow against her behind. Nami bit her tongue as heat infused her cheeks. When she looked at him, Luffy’s intense eyes sucked her in, and her breath caught.

To regain her momentum - Luffy had been about to cave in for her only moments ago - she tried to smile with confidence and laid her hand on his chest.

“Well, aren’t you getting feisty, Captain?” she whispered. “Can’t you wait for the other two to get back, or was all that talk about sharing a lie?”

“It wasn’t a lie, but sharing means it’s my turn, doesn’t it?” His hand slid up her back so slowly that he somehow still surprised her when his fingers slid into her hair before he pulled her down to kiss him.

Nami melted. Moments later, her head hit the pillows.

Luffy looked down at her with adoration in his eyes, and she felt a little embarrassed below him, but not uncomfortable. He had never looked at her with lust. She supposed she should feel offended, but she wasn’t. He wanted her because he wanted  _ her _ .

“Doesn’t it?”

They both blinked. Luffy froze while Nami felt a spike of fear shoot through her spine.

“It’s my turn, doesn’t it? It wasn’t a lie.”

Luffy looked up toward the door’s porthole, and his eyes widened into an impossible size.

Nami twisted her neck to see only to give a start. A strange man’s face pressed up against the porthole. It looked familiar, and yet, she could not quite place it.

Luffy got to his feet before she could stop him, and he opened the door to punch the man. The form flew out over the stern of the ship. He splashed below as she got to Luffy’s side. She looked down over the railing, staring at the figure.

It was wearing Brook’s clothes, and as she stared at it, she realized it had a full head of hair - a huge afro.

She gaped. “No way. How?”

“Nami!” Luffy yanked her back into the infirmary, and she gasped as a blue-haired man swung down where she had been standing only a moment ago.

She stared up at the figure as it turned to face them. It was familiar and somehow not at the same time, but it had Franky’s triple butt chin. There was not a scrap of metal anywhere to be found, however.

And it was wearing a pair of Zoro’s pants instead of a speedo.

It was no longer a cyborg.

And the man with the afro was no longer a skeleton. Now that she could see it, she noticed that it looked like the face on Brook’s old bounty poster.

“Luffy! It’s Franky and Brook!”

He looked at her in surprise before squinting out at the figure which lumbered toward them.

“Franky? What are you doing!? Ah! If that’s Brook, then he’s drowning!”

Nami pulled out her Clima Tact to level it at the figure that had Franky’s features. “Gust Sword!”

A wind shot out from the end of the Clima Tact, slamming into the Franky mimic to send it out over the railing. When it splashed into the ocean, she leaned over the railing to look down, searching for Brook only to stare.

For once, she had hoped she had been wrong. Perhaps, if she was wrong, maybe they could get everyone back. If they were still alive, they could go traveling together once again. She wouldn’t have to bury them.

The thing that had Brook’s body was swimming.

Even as a skeleton, Brook could not swim. Devil Fruit Users could not swim for the rest of their lives - even in their afterlife as Brook himself had attested to.

That  _ thing  _ was not Brook.

Grimacing, Nami bit her lip as she shook with rage.

“What did you do to them? What did you do to our friends!? Give us back their bodies!”

“Nami.” Luffy stepped out of the infirmary, grasping her shoulder, and she turned to him with eyes full of tears. Luffy set his straw hat onto her head, and using this movement, he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. Her cheeks colored as he gazed into her eyes. “I’ll get rid of them.”

Nami blinked, and she glanced down at his stump in worry. “But your-”

“I feel better now.”

“You can’t just feel better after losing an arm! It hasn’t even been a whole day!”

Turning to walk around toward the inner deck, Luffy said, “It’s just an arm.”

Nami twitched, gaping before she chased after him.

As they approached the center of the ship, Nami could hear fighting. She frowned in concern when Zoro shouted, “Damned creatures!”

Worry spiked with fear then, but when she turned the corner to see them out on the grassy deck, she was flabbergasted.

There was more than one Usopp. She gaped as several lithe figures - all wearing different clothes purloined from the men’s room - ducked and dodged away from Zoro’s swords and Sanji’s kicks.

Zoro tried to strike down a Robin who was wearing one of Sanji’s suits. It was almost too tight for its bust.

Sanji snapped at him. “Don’t hurt a lady!”

“That’s not a woman anymore, idiot cook!”

Sanji kicked at a face that had belonged to Jimbei, but it dodged with no problem.

Several reindeer ran around the grass, all with blue noses. When she saw this, she understood.

They could not mimic their Devil Fruit abilities. They had only stolen their unaltered forms.

Chopper was originally a reindeer before he had eaten the Human Human Fruit. Franky was a weird pervert, but he was still human under all the cyborg parts. Brook had eaten the Revive Revive Fruit. He had died and then the power of the Devil Fruit revived him whereupon he had found his skeletal body. This was his lanky human body before his first death.

Luffy stepped forward, gritting his teeth before he shouted, “Duck!”

Nami hung back, watching as Luffy braced himself, and drew a leg back before kicking across the deck.

He called out, “Gum Gum Whip!”

As Zoro and Sanji hit the deck, Luffy’s leg stretched out, hitting most of the mimics before flinging those he had caught against his leg out into the ocean.

Sanji scowled, jumping to his feet first before planting several, solid shoe prints into one of the Frankys’ faces. “Extra Hachis!” He held his hands up in the shape of a heart then to her, “Do you love me now, Nami-san!?”

“Stupid love cook,” Zoro growled before dashing in front of Nami to slice away the last Usopp who tried to reach for her. “Beat it, tengu!”

Nami blinked then, glancing around as she realized that now she was on the deck. The mimics were trying to run toward her. Stepping back, she gaped, holding her Clima Tact out in front of herself.

“What - what’s going on!? What are they doing!?”

She jumped as something landed in front of her from above, and she shrieked when the Franky mimic grabbed her arm. When it began dragging her off, Nami tried hitting it with the Clima Tact. Panic moved her, but her strikes didn’t seem to affect it.

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji struck out. A fist, sword, and foot connected with its face, sending it flying. She heard something crack in its head while it soared away.

“Don’t touch her!”

With her back against the wall, Nami blushed, watching their backs as they faced out toward the other mimics. Those remaining stared at them before they started running for the railing, jumping into the water to swim away. Nami gripped her Clima Tact to her chest. As she stared out after them, she knew what she had to do.

Squeezing the middle, the Clima Tact extended out to its proper, usable length. She stepped up, pressing aside Sanji to walk up to the railing.

“Weather Egg.” Nami shot the egg out of the Clima Tact into the sky. It hovered for a few moments before she swung down and commanded, “Wake up, Lighting-chan!”

As the egg cracked open, an inky cloud began pouring upward, filling the air above them. The thundercloud crackled with light then, illuminating the rest of their prison, and the terrified eyes of the mimics swimming below.

“You think you can do all of this? Killing our friends and desecrating their memory, and you made me watch! You think you won’t pay for it!? You owe me a huge debt! Pay up!” Nami swung across the air, commanding, “Thunder Breed Tempo!”

Below, the strange creatures - the mimics - screamed as the giant bolt struck the ocean.

Around them, the undulating gray dome seemed to quiver as the lightning bolt went on, filling the air with an odd sizzling sound.

She watched their bodies float up to the top when it ended.

“Cold-hearted Nami-san is beautiful too!” Sanji cheered, twirling to kneel at her feet on one knee. “You’re stunning tonight!”

She brought the Clima Tact back down to its original size before she sagged, rubbing her temple. Nami sucked her lips in, quivering before, at last, she couldn’t stop it.

The tears began pouring down her face, and she collapsed to her knees.

Bawling, Nami pressed her face into the grass.

A hand touched her back. She sniffled, lifting her head to see Zoro gazing down at her. Through her tears, she saw his eye blink away his own tears. With a sob, she clung to his front, pulling him closer. His arms wrapped around her. Two arms wrapped around her from behind, and then when she felt one arm add itself to the mix, she wailed.

It was too quiet.

Why had she ever thought they were too noisy?

She wanted it all back, just to drown out the silence.

* * *

It felt like hours later, but time always felt like that after a good cry and hug. Though, this had been the strangest embrace in which she had ever been involved.

Zoro and Sanji glared at each other over her head. When she looked up, and pouted through wet, red eyes, she said, “Stop that.”

Their visible eyes were red as well, but when she looked up at Luffy, she flinched. His eyes were dry. Nami bit her lip, gazing up at him until she saw him stumble.

“Ah! Idiot!” Zoro grabbed his right shoulder, keeping him steady. “You still need to rest!”

Nami wiped her eyes dry, scowling, “Take him to my room.”

Sanji gaped, “Nami-san!?”

Turning red, Zoro pointed at her, and snapped, “Don’t get caught up in the idiot captain’s ideas! We’re not gonna just-”

“We need to stay together. There are weird creatures mimicking our friends, and my room has two beds, and even a table to sit at so we can eat.” Her lips twisted. “And if you suggest your room, I am  _ not _ sleeping in one of those hammocks. Besides, it would be harder to treat Luffy in one.”

Zoro’s eyebrow twitched hard.

* * *

Nami picked at the rest of her food, swishing the final dreg of tequila in her glass. Zoro napped in Robin’s bed while Luffy was in Nami’s. She had covered him in a tablecloth so she could whisk it off once he was done making a disaster zone out of his dinner.

Nami knew she had to tell them soon - it was important. But after the kisses this afternoon, Nami hadn’t known how to broach this particular subject without causing more awkwardness on her part.

They knew already she was sure. She had told them that Luffy would stay in her room from now on.

Nami smiled when Sanji offered her another glass, but she shook her head. She was nowhere near her limit, but she did not want to give off any ideas, despite their earlier activities.

Sanji was the one she was most worried about, and then perhaps Zoro. He did not seem keen on the idea.

“Nami-san, did you want to retire to bed?”

She blushed and said, “You should stay too, Sanji-kun. You and Zoro. I don’t want to lose you either.”

Sanji’s eyes turned to hearts in the next instant. “I love you too, Nami-swan!”

“Idiot cook,” Zoro grumbled. “Shut up already.”

Nami smiled as the two bickered, and she got up to scoop up the tablecloth bib from Luffy. He watched her, and she found her blush return.

Nami gave the plate stacks to Sanji and put the tablecloth in the laundry bin.

Sanji waved to her. “I’ll be back after getting the dishes done.” He then pointed at Zoro. “You’re with me, moss head.”

Zoro grumbled, but he got up to follow their cook. Nami rolled her eyes before glancing at Luffy with a pout. He licked his fingers, eyes locked onto her, and she felt a hot blush creep across her cheeks.

_ Wait ... _ Nami stared at him while fanning herself.  _ Luffy was the one that started it all. _

He grinned after a moment, snickering, “What’s wrong?”

_ Idiot! He’s the one I should be most worried about! _ Nami hunched her shoulders. “Nothing.”

“Aren’t you gonna sleep too?”

“Ye ... yeah ... soon ...”  _ I’m not tired anymore! _

Luffy stretched his arm out to pull her over, and she flushed as he pressed her up against his chest. Her eyes widened, staring into his black eyes.

“Luffy ...”

He kissed her. She shivered, eyes fluttering shut before she pulled away with a gasp.

“We - we can’t just-!”

“It’s okay. They’ll be back soon. I’m just warming you up.”

“Warming me up for what!?”

He slid his tongue up her neck, and she choked out a moan, shaking. Luffy grinned up at her, sticking his tongue out at her. “Nami, you want all of us, right?”

She froze, blushing as she stared down at him. Her eyelids lowered, and she sat back, chewing her lip.

She whispered, “I ... wanted to tell all of you. I didn’t get the chance earlier.”

And in a room with a proper bed, not just the sickbay bed, somehow it was different. It felt more and more as if there would be a jump into something new for everyone.

Luffy only smiled. “You can say it now, right?”

Nami’s cheeks exploded in color when she heard the door open behind her. She was still on Luffy’s lap.

“Ah, Nami-san?” Sanji paused in the doorway, pouting.

Zoro glanced in, and, turning red, he spun around.

She held out her hand as if she could reach him, and blurted, “Stop him! And get in here!”

Reaching out just in time, Sanji grabbed the back of Zoro’s collar, and yanked him back into the room, shutting the door behind them. He grinned. “I got the seaweed head, Nami-san!”

“Thank you, Sanji-kun!” Taking a deep breath, Nami spun around to face them. “I have something to tell all of you.”

Zoro grimaced, but he crossed his arms, and hunched his shoulders to wait.

Her stomach flipped, and she braced herself as she looked at Zoro and Sanji. “I keep telling you that I don’t want to lose you, and that’s true.”  _ I never wanted to lose anyone. _ “I just didn’t think this is what it would take. I thought we had time, but everyone ...” Her tired eyes filled with tears, and Nami clenched fists in her skirt. “Everyone else thought so too.”

She jumped when Sanji kneeled in front of her and grasped her hand. “We’ll make sure there’s time.”

Zoro’s remaining eye was wide when she looked up at him. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head, and said, “Of course, we will. Captain’s orders.”

“Shi~shi~shi!” Luffy laughed before pulling her back against him. “Tell ‘em the rest, Nami!”

She grasped his face, pinching his lips together. “I was getting to that!”

When he only smiled, Nami pouted, but she released him. Turning to the other two, she blinked. It looked wrong. After a moment, she got up, and pulled Zoro and Sanji over, making them sit down on the bed so she could face all three of them. Zoro still appeared embarrassed, but Luffy was a bouncing sunbeam, and Sanji was clasping his hands together in prayer to her.

As she stood in front of them, she smiled, “I love you.”

Luffy stretched his arm out to wrap around her, yoyo-ing her back into them. Nami flushed, frowning up at their captain, but he laughed, “About time!”

“I’ve always loved you, Nami-swan!”

Zoro snorted, and blushed. “We need to set some serious ground rules.”

Nami smiled then, bending over him. “What’s the shy boy’s rules, then?”

His eyes widened as he leaned back, becoming redder.

“Aah! He really is shy!” Luffy grinned, shaking Zoro’s shoulder. “Can one of the rules be Nami feeds me a hamburger?”

“You just ate!” she snapped.

“Nami-san.” Sanji raised his hand. “May I smell your hair?”

Zoro snapped, “What is with you idiots!? How about no touching cocks!? Or - or no talking to each other while doing it?”

Luffy and Sanji glanced at each other before their eyes lit up. Luffy leaned in. “You wanna do it with all four of us? I was talking about sharing, but that sounds like fun too!”

“Ah, I can watch the beautiful Nami-san at work!?”

As Zoro looked faint, Nami’s eyes widened, gasping as Luffy pulled her up onto his lap to straddle it.

Nami grasped his shoulders. “Like hell I can take on all three of you at once!”

Even though Zoro had not looked into it, even his eyes lit up from the idea of a challenge. As she stared at their eyes, she felt heat rise to her face.

She loved them, but they were all idiots.

Groaning, she looked away, “I feel like I need a safeword, and no one’s even mentioned ...” she trailed off, and gritted her teeth. There was no need to give them any ideas until or if they wanted to try it out.

Luffy nodded though, and said in an all too serious voice, “The safeword is oatmeal!”

“We’re not doing BDSM!” Zoro shouted.

“What’s beetle skism?” Luffy asked.

“That’s not what I said!”

“Bad school?”

“No!”

Sanji rubbed his chin, frowning in contemplation. “If we can’t talk to each other, we need hand signals, and that would just be more confusing. Especially with the idiot captain.”

“Then - then no touching dicks to each other!” Zoro stammered.

Nami smiled, trailing a finger up his chest. “Maybe just not yours. I might like to see it later.”

Sanji raised his hand so quick that Nami thought she almost felt a shockwave. “I’ll do anything for Nami-san!”

“We know you will!” Zoro grimaced.

“And you won’t?” Nami smiled, and he leaned back with a wide eye.

“I-” The swordsman clamped his mouth shut.

“What’s touching cocks do?” Luffy tilted his head in confusion. “Do we power up or something?”

“Nami-san will get hot for us!”

“Ooh! That does sound good!”

“Ah, Nami-san, do you have condoms in here?” Sanji dug into a nightstand, pursing his lips.

She flushed, but she blurted out, “You can cum in me if you want.”

Nami leaned back as all three turned to her at once.

“Let’s start!” Luffy cried.

She had to pull Zoro closer. His hand landed in her hair, tugging as if to brace himself. He had the most adorable flush to his cheeks. Pushing him on the bed, Nami cooed.

While she was bent over him, Sanji whispered nothings in her ear. Luffy’s arm wrapped around her waist to stroke her hip. They took turns under her skirt, pushing it out of their way while Nami worshipped Zoro.

His face was an inferno when she swallowed him.

Sanji smoothed a hand up and down her thigh, and she shivered. Unlike Luffy who fought with his fists, and Zoro who handled swords and worked out with dumbbells, Sanji’s hands were softer from his time in the kitchen - perhaps only rougher from past knicks.

Something long, and wet lapped through her core. Warmth infused her.

She jumped when Luffy went straight to the hot source. His hand tugged on her hip, and he struck deep inside. Her body was a hot, writhing mess, and she could smell herself on Sanji’s breath when he came up to whisper, “Nami-san, you taste amazing when you suck cock.”

Nami flushed to her roots. It seemed that Sanji was the pervert in bed rather than the gentleman.

She wanted this to work. Nami couldn’t lose anyone else. If they were all together, nothing else mattered.

Shaking, she pulled herself up onto Zoro’s lap, her chest heaving. Something tugged at her bikini top, and it slipped away.

For a moment, the air felt still. She slipped onto him.

She felt like she was in glorious control once she began to move. Nami grasped Zoro’s hands, struggling with herself. She was sore, but how sore? Was it pain? But she could feel more than just that.

From behind her, Sanji grasped one breast before Luffy’s hot mouth latched onto it. All at once, they were moving again.

Nami clutched into Luffy’s hair, pulling as she felt his teeth tease her. Sanji pressed against her back. Sometime in the excitement, he must have stripped down. She gasped as he squeezed her other breast, offering it up to her blushing swordsman.

Her own face erupted into heat as Sanji’s whispers tickled her ear, “You’re so beautiful when you feed them.”

She tightened around Zoro, and his hips bucked. Sanji’s wet tongue slid down her back.

She writhed on her pedestal.

Under her, Zoro released her teat to gasp, “Nami! I’m gonna cum!”

Nami looked down with lidded eyes, grasping the back of his head to kiss him. “Do you want to cum in me?”

His eye rolled about, seeming to wrestle with the decision. She licked his lips as she watched him flush.  _ He’s so cute when he’s shy ... _

Zoro grunted before grabbing her hips, and she moaned as he thrust faster. “Do I!? Damn it, woman! You’re driving me wild!”

Her eyes lit up, grasping his shoulders as she attempted to hold on for the ride. Nami looked down at him, panting as she let him move her. He was strong enough to lift her up and down with ease.

Luffy pulled back from her bouncing breasts with a pout, unable to hold onto them. As she sat up, Luffy kissed her instead, and for a moment, she felt like she knew what it was to be devoured by him.

Sanji leaned against her from behind, heating her back even as he latched onto her throat. She clung to them, shaking as she felt Zoro flood her body.

As she sagged back with a cry, Sanji caught her, pulling her off of the spent swordsman to lay her on the foot of the bed.

Nami looked up in a haze, starting to shiver from the loss of heat, but she arched up against the cook’s body. Thrills coursed through her as he claimed her in one thrust. Nami coiled her limbs around him, just holding onto him.

Sanji licked his lips as he looked down at her, lifting up a lock of hair to smell it. “Aah, the scent of a woman in love ...”

“Mn, Sanji-kun, you’re so dirty!”

“Because you’re too sexy!”

Her form melted into the bed as he moved. She writhed, twisting under him, and panting with desire. The new angle was even better! Nami hitched her knees up higher, and she squealed when Sanji grasped the back of her knees, and spread her open wide.

She cried out as he thrust down into her, and she met his hips every time.

As she tossed her head, she spotted Luffy coming to kneel by her head, and he fumbled with his button and zipper. Excitement ran through her, and she reached up to undo his button.

Nami slavered over his manhood once she released it, pleased to taste salty seed on her tongue.

His hand cupped the back of her head, and her eyes fluttered shut.

Her body rocked from one cock to the other, thrusting down on Sanji to bob her head back onto Luffy.

A new pair of hands grasped her breasts then, and she cooed to Zoro’s flushed face. She lapped at Luffy’s cock in front of her while she winked at Zoro. “You came back to me.”

Zoro smirked. “Idiot, I’m not losing you either.”

As she felt her own blush creep through her body, Sanji began to quicken. “Nami-san, you’re gorgeous even with these barbarians touching you!”

She moaned, a breathy husk in her voice, “Sanji-kun, do you want to cum in me too?”

Nami gasped as he began rocking her whole body. His answer for her was to wrap his arms around her, pressing her into the bedding, and pummelling inside. Nami sobbed, shaking when Sanji gushed into her.

Moaning in delight, Nami licked her lips as she pressed her foot against his shoulder to push him off. “Did you like that, Sanji-kun?”

“I love you, Nami-swan!”

Luffy’s arm looped several times around her, and she squealed when Luffy whisked her out from under Sanji. His face pressed into the crook of her neck and shoulder. She was just about to turn around when her captain bent her forward, and took her.

Her jaw dropped. No waiting made her toes curl. She bucked back, trembling, but Luffy gripped her hips, holding her still as he slammed into her.

“Luffy!” Nami’s knees hit the bed, and she tumbled forward, losing all sense of control.

She blinked one moment, and she screamed the next. Her form arched, trying to receive all of him. With a sob, she squeezed him tighter, shaking hard as Luffy leaned over to grunt into her ear.

“You don’t gotta ask me. I’m gonna cum in you!”

Nami pulled at the blankets, drooling and shaking as he directed her hips to do just that. Her body twitched, and she panted, writhing in his tight embrace. Relaxing when she realized she could not and did not want to fight it, Nami moaned as he sucked on her throat from behind.

His heat flowed like a deluge, and she screamed.

Slumping onto the bed, Nami felt him slip out, and she shuddered, curling up.

“Luffy, you were too rough on Nami-san!”

“A little quick, weren’t you?”

“Hey, I had to wait on you two, and she was sucking me off before!”

She moaned, “I’m sorry you had to wait ...”

Luffy grinned, leaning over her. “Got anymore in you?”

Zoro flushed, and said, “More importantly, we came inside. Was that really such a good idea?”

“Nami said we could,” Luffy snickered.

“Nami-san is a goddess! I love you!”

She smiled, licking her lips, and rolling onto her back. “You didn’t seem to think it was a bad idea before.”

He hunched his shoulders, looking away as his face burned bright pink, and mirrored what Luffy had said, “You said we could.”

She laughed before she looked at Luffy. “How’s your arm?”

“It’s just warm.” He looked down at the stump before he blinked. “And red.”

Blushing, she got up to grab the gauzes and bandages. As she went to work quickly undoing and rewrapping his wound, Sanji snorted. “No more fun or fights for you, Captain.”

Luffy pouted, bunching up his cheeks before he grinned. “Maybe Nami can hop on me like Zoro!”

She smacked his chest after she finished tying off the bandage. “You might burst a stitch.”

Nami squealed in delight when he began kissing over her face.

Her spine tingled as a piercing screech filled her eyes, and she winced. Covering her ears, Nami curled away from him.

“Ah! Nami!” Luffy grasped her shoulder, squeezing it. “What’s wrong? Is it that sound again?”

“Shit!” Sanji pulled away, grabbing his pants to pull them on, and he stomped into his shoes. “Luffy, stay with Nami-san! Maybe whatever that is is calling more. With me, mosshead”

Zoro scowled at him, but he had already fixed his state of undress, given Nami hadn’t stripped his pants, and he grabbed his swords. He followed, but stopped at the door to point back at them. “Stay here, Luffy.”

When they disappeared out onto the deck, locking the door behind them, Luffy pulled her close. He wrapped his arm around her. She shook, clutching his side.

Nami felt nauseated all over. Her entire being wanted to vomit.

A warm moment ruined just like that.

Luffy murmured into her ear, “I’m here. It’s okay, Nami. It’s gonna be all right.”

Nami relaxed against him, closing her eyes. The ear shredding sound began to cease.

“It’s gonna be all right. It’s okay.”

Soon all she could hear was Luffy’s reassuring voice.

“It’s okay.”

She frowned when he stiffened.

“It’s okay.”

Nami looked up at him. He swallowed hard, staring at the door with wide eyes. She dared to look.

The door was shut.

Something scratched.

“It’s okay. It’s gonna be all right.”

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She looked up at him to make sure.

He gritted his teeth. He clutched at her.

“It’s okay, Nami. It’s okay.”

He hadn’t said anything.

She sucked in air, staring at him before looking at the door with wide eyes.

It scratched again.

It spoke, “It’s okay, Nami. It’s gonna be all right”

Gasping, Nami gripped Luffy’s arm in such a way that she wondered if she was cutting off his circulation. She shouted at the door, “Go away!”

“It’s okay, Nami.”

Luffy pulled her closer, his eyes intent on the door. He hardly blinked.

He held so still that Nami thought she was leaning up against a statue. His lips curled back. Rage.

“It’s okay, Nami. I’m here.”

“Don’t you say that,” Luffy growled. “Don’t you talk to her!”

Nami’s eyes welled with tears, and she whispered, shaking hard, “Don’t. Don’t go.”

The scratching came more furiously, “Don’t you say that. Don’t you talk to her!” It was quiet for only a moment.

For a few seconds, she thought it had wandered away. Nami prayed it had.

“I’m here.”

Luffy pressed her against himself firmer, and he whispered next - she wanted him to scream it and cover the noise of the thing outside, “I’m never leaving you.”

But she didn’t want the thing to mimic him.

She looked up at his own terrified face - ever vigilant as he stared down the door - before she sobbed, pressing her face into his chest as her whole body heaved.

“I’m here, Nami. It’s okay.”

“Go away!” She wailed.

“Go away!” the thing croaked. It was trying out her voice now, but something in it still sounded like Luffy. She clamped her jaw shut, staring.

What was it?

If they opened the door, would it shoot them too?

Where were Zoro and Sanji?

She realized that the groaning had stopped, but that thing with Luffy’s voice was still outside the door.

The door handle jiggled.

She drew back, sobbing.

Luffy pulled her head down into his chest, scowling at the door.

“Luffy! Nami!”

Zoro’s voice.

Nami felt relief wash through her even while she feared for him. Did it have the same lasers? Her cry came out as a shrill shriek, “Get rid of it!”

“Zoro, it’s not me!”

The scratching stopped, and she heard someone running towards the door. She heard Zoro’s voice, “Luffy, what’re you talking about!?”

“There was something out there!”

As Luffy got up to answer the door, Nami pulled him back, “Zoro, is that really you!?”

Luffy glanced at her, hesitating before he looked back at the door. He bit his lip, “Zoro?”

“Wha-!? It’s me!”

Luffy glanced back at her, considering. Something landed on the deck then, and Sanji could be heard saying, “What’s going on?”

“Something scared them.”

“There was a creature out there copying my voice,” Luffy said.

The door burst open then, and Sanji looked in, eyes wide. “Nami-san, are you okay!?”

“Get out!” she shrieked even as her skin crawled. She wanted them back in - to run in and hold her with Luffy, but not if they were not her Zoro and Sanji.

Luffy gritted his teeth before he nodded. “Zoro. Sanji. Step back.”

Their cook looked conflicted before he took a step back. They cringed as Luffy stood up, motioning for Nami to stay on the bed.

Luffy glanced back at her, but then he eyed the other two again.

“How do we tell?”

She looked up at Luffy who seemed braced to attack should Zoro or Sanji move wrong. She whispered, “Zoro ... come in here.”

Luffy twitched, his eyes darted back to her, but then they were on the other two again. “Nami, are you sure?”

“We gotta see ... but we can’t show them.” She licked her lips. “Zoro ...?” Zoro grimaced, glancing at Luffy before he pulled his three swords off, and even set them down on the deck before stepping inside. She glanced at Sanji before she nodded to him. “You too. Shut the door.”

“Nami ...” Luffy fidgeted.

“Just watch them.”

Sanji pursed his lips, seeming to be in thought. He glanced back at the deck before he stepped into the room beside Zoro, pulling the door closed behind them.

“Show us your ankles, Zoro,” Nami said as she looked over them.

His eyebrows perked up, and relief washed over his face. Zoro bent down to lift up his pant leg, and pulled down his boot and sock to show off a scarred ankle.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but now Sanji frowned in worry.

“What about me, Nami-san?”

She took a deep breath. “Open the fridge.”

He blinked before he smiled. “Right away, Mellorine!”

* * *

“Okay, so groups of two at all times,” Zoro said, emphasizing each word with a poke down onto the table.

Sanji pulled out a cigarette, and was about to light it before he grimaced. He put it away as Nami looked at him.

She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just ... taking a break,” he said, straightening his tie as he smiled at her.

Nami felt a flush creep over her face, but she managed to keep a silly smile from showing up.

Zoro pointed at her. “And you. Don’t  _ ever _ be alone. I don’t know if those things can reproduce, but I don’t want to find out the hard way.”

Pressing one hand to her stomach and another to her lower abdomen, Nami paled, and she whispered, “Yeah ...”

Luffy stood up, the chair falling back with a crash. “I don’t wanna.”

She flinched, looking at him in shock. “You guys already came in me!”

“I’m not hiding from those things!”

Nami flushed, relieved that he was not talking about a possible baby, however, she snapped, “We have to or they’ll copy us!”

“We’re burning that thing down.” They stared at him as he stormed out onto the deck.

As one, they ran after him, Sanji shouting, “Groups of two, idiot captain! Weren’t you listening?”

Luffy pointed at the wall that was just in sight. “We’ll burn the island too. It’ll be their pyre.”

Nami turned to look at the wall, staring as Zoro and Sanji considered before stepping up to stand with him. She followed them, looking out toward the island’s shadow.

She walked after them as they headed up to the bow where the wheel was. They turned on the eye lights, looking at the strange, moving wall of what Nami could only assume now was flesh.

_ Can it even burn? _ Nami stared up as far as she could, but it only disappeared into blackness.

Her thundercloud had lit up most of it before going out, but it was so huge.

“Let’s try to blast a hole through the sucker,” Sanji said.

Zoro tilted his head as he inspected the Docking System chapter with a frown. “How’s this work again? Usopp always did it.”

“Sanji-kun, get in the prow.”

Nami opened the back of the figurehead by pulling down the staircase to reveal the controls. Outside, she heard the lion figurehead’s mouth open in response.

“Aah, yeah.” Sanji climbed down into the little cockpit area, and Nami pointed out the levers and such to him. “Ooh, everything in the circle, right?” He snorted a chuckle. “Not that I have to aim at anything. That whole thing is surrounding us.”

“Pull the lever!” Nami commanded.

“Right away!” Sanji yanked the lever, and all at once, the ship lurched backwards as the force of the blast hit the undulating gray wall.

“Ooh!” Luffy scrambled up to the top of the figurehead to watch the beam shoot from the cannon in  _ Sunny _ ’s mouth.

Nami looked up from the cockpit, and called after his unbalanced frame, “Be careful, Luffy!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I-” He wobbled, and slipped onto his hip before sliding the rest of the way off. He tried to stretch his arm out, but it was the wrong arm. Luffy cried out when his stump hit one of the triangles of  _ Sunny _ ’s mane.

“Idiot!” Nami leaped into the sea after him.

She had only a moment to see the after effect of the Gaon Cannon. It had left a devastating gap in the wall which revealed orange inside.

In the dark water, Nami searched for Luffy’s face. The dim light above couldn’t break far into the water, and just as she thought about backtracking to search for him, his face rose toward her.

She jerked back, almost gasping out air.

He was coming  _ up _ toward her. He reached out, and grabbed her wrist, and Nami had her second start.

It was his left hand. His scars were gone.

The thing with Luffy’s body was  _ swimming _ .

Underwater, she screamed. Nami pulled, attempting to free her arm, but its grip almost seemed glued to her. It dragged her through the water, powerful legs kicking to haul her away from the  _ Thousand Sunny _ and Luffy.

_ Zoro! Sanji! Save Luffy! I ... can’t ... _ Nami - having spent her breath on a scream - felt herself grow weak.

* * *

Nami woke up, feeling warm. When her eyes opened, she tried to open them again.

It was so dark, Nami slid her hands around where she was lying. Sticky wetness met her palms, and she flinched back. Where was she? Where was that creature in Luffy’s skin? She tuned into every sound she could, struggling to hear it in the darkness.

Yet, all she could seem to hear was something that didn’t seem to be wind, and Nami almost called it breathing, but nothing breathed like that.

It was so humid - even hotter than it had been outside. She felt the area again, and cringed. It gave way to her hand as well. The floor was oddly soft, but not like the ground, more like a firm muscle.

As she breathed, she gagged from the scent of rot.

She grimaced in disgust, but she felt around more. As she began to sweat from the heat, Nami crawled around, stopping now and then to search for something that felt like something other than the inside of a mouth.

Nami jumped when she touched something else though.

It crinkled - a sick sound that grated in her head. It called up the image of dry paper. She felt around it before her hand touched something else, and she blinked in the dark.

She still couldn’t see, but she had just felt metal. Nami inhaled a deep, shaking breath before feeling around the metal ball. It seemed to be the right size, but her hands became slower the more they travelled over the globe. She didn’t want it to be true.

She swallowed nothing, and gagged. Hands touched more of the crumpling texture, and she felt a sob escape her throat.

_ “We couldn’t find them.” _

Bowing her head over the metal globe, Nami whimpered.

She reached out to feel more. One hand found prickly fur, and her body shook from sobs.

_ “There’s nothing on the beach. We tried combing the jungle, but ... they’re not there.” _

Her fingers curled into someone’s hair, and she sniffled as she sat up, and wiped away her snot and tears. She tried to find them all, searching for heads first to count them down. One, two, three, four ...

On this - the one she suspected was Chopper from the fur tickling her skin - she stopped all movement. Feeling bile rise, she felt more over his little head.

Her body wracked with sobs when she confirmed it.

_ Pieces _ were missing! Had he fallen apart on the way here?

Nami caressed the missing areas, but grew concerned. It felt like chunks had come off in odd places. Not his little ears chipping off or even his antlers or hooves.

Part of his face was gone.

“No, no, no ...” she whispered as dread flooded her. “What did they do to you!?”

Nami searched out the rest, counting heads. Chopper, Usopp, Franky, Brook’s bones, Robin, Jimbei ...

They were all there, but now that she knew what to grope for in the dark, she found more holes in all of them. One was in the middle of Robin’s face. Brook’s bones were in pieces in some places. Usopp was missing an ear.

The more pieces she found missing, the more she could picture the shape of them in her head.

Bitemarks.

_ They  _ ate _ them! That’s how they copied everyone! They absorbed them somehow, and changed! _

She found an arm, and she pulled it to her chest. They must have gnawed it off. Nami hunted in the dark, trying to at least lay it with its body.

But Usopp had both arms attached, and so did Robin. She frowned.

Whose else could it be?

Everyone else was shaped so differently it couldn’t be theirs.

_ Luffy saw where her eyes had been, so he reached down for his wrinkled arm and chucked it off of the ship. _

As hot as she was in that strange, damp, dim place, Nami grew cold. Recalling the thing with Luffy’s face, she clutched the arm. His arm. She held his shriveled hand, and shook.

Something shuffled in the quiet.

Setting aside Luffy’s arm, she whisked out her Clima Tact, and she held it before her. She turned around, braced back against Jimbei’s body. She tried to peer into the nothingness, squinting into the ink. If she could only see it before it came for her!

She heard it slide against the floor, a wet slosh, and she pulled her feet in as if it might grab for her. It snorted.

Jolting in alarm, Nami pressed tighter against the Fishman. It sounded closer than she had thought.

It sounded familiar.

The stagnant dark hid the creature, and she cursed her weakness a thousand times. She was blind here. Haki seemed so useful then. It was too late to learn now, however.

Did it see her cowering?

“Nami, I’m here.”

Her back froze upright.

Her thighs stuck to the stuffy floor as she attempted to pull back.

“It’s gonna be all right.”

She inhaled with a harsh sound, and her next exhale was a scream when something powerful dragged her by the ankle away from her friends. “Let me go!”

Nami swung down with all the strength she could muster. It dropped her, but it scrabbled back to grab her calf. She bashed down again, and it hissed, releasing her once more. Spinning onto her hands and knees, Nami scrambled to her friends’ bodies.

“I’m here.”

Her skin crawled. It was, perhaps, the worst thing she could think of at that moment. Even knowing death might be soon.

It had Luffy’s voice.

Her captain and her lover spoke to her in the dark, but it wasn’t him. She had to convince herself. It was only mimicking.

“I don’t want you here! Go away!” Nami kicked back when she felt it graze her skin.

It screamed with his voice, and two strong hands restrained her ankles. Nami reached out for purchase, but her fingertips didn’t even touch her friends. She tried to claw at the floor, and the floor shuddered. It reached up, grabbing her hips with both hands. She thought of his hands on her, pulling her back to make love, and she scratched into the floor, sobbing.

It dragged her under itself, and she screamed when she felt hot breath hit her neck, “It’s okay. It’s gonna be all right.”

“Don’t touch me!” She struck back with the Clima Tact, and she gasped when it caught her wrist.

“Got anymore in you?”

Gasping, she felt tears stream down her cheeks, “Stop it! Shut up! You’re not Luffy! Get off of me!”

She shuddered when it pressed down against her, and she cringed. It was Luffy’s body against her, yet her stomach turned.

It whispered into her ear, “Careful.”

Nami could no longer stand it. Whether it realized it or not, his creature was mocking them now! Luffy had nearly died from that laser creature, and now it was mimicking him. All of those rare, quiet moments with her captain could have never even happened.

Did it think that it could  _ replace  _ him!? Gritting her teeth, Nami seethed.

“That’s what I should say to you,” she said, squeezing her Clima Tact to make it grow longer. In a moment of clarity, she activated it as well, releasing a long chain of balls full of dark clouds that sparkled with lightning inside. “Black Ball!”

This one wasn’t rubber.

The clouds illuminated the chamber, revealing bright orange insides. It looked smooth, and yet the ceiling was wriggling somehow. There were strange worms or folds in the ceiling that continued to move just out of the corner of her eye. She found her eyes looking upward, but she pulled away with some difficulty.

It backed away, releasing her as it gaped at the flickering cloud balls.

Swinging the Clima Tact about, Nami shouted, “Storm Cloud Rod!” As she swung, the tail of small clouds followed. Luffy’s mimic dodged, rolling away, but the clouds struck, popping open to electrocute it.

Nami cringed from the sound of him in pain. When it became silent, she peeked out to where she had seen it last.

It twitched, lifting itself up to its knees as it stared at her, lit up by the residual lightning crackling and reaching out through the line of clouds. Just as the last cloud popped open and sputtered into nothing, it scowled.

Its eyes seemed to glow in the last of the light before it faded.

It touched its cheek.

She blinked, trying to instill the image in her head.

What was  _ that _ ?

Nami’s eyes trailed around, straining to see in the darkness which had been brightened by harsh lightning. Perhaps, she had just made it worse for herself. Somehow, she felt more blind than ever before.

“Captain,” it whispered.

_ He lowered his head, eyes still watching her. She approached him, caressing his back. In the dark, his eyes flickered to her hand before going back to her face. Nami shivered. _

_ She had never seen them so intense. _

_ “I don’t know if you’ll like it or not ... but just remember ... I don’t want to lose you.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. His eyes widened as she whispered with a soft smile, “You should get back to bed, Captain.” _

_ “Captain,” he repeated, his brow twitching. _

She gaped, and took a step backwards.

She hadn’t seen his chest nor his face. The dome above had blocked out the sun, and they had dimmed the lights in an attempt to not attract the creatures. It had all been dark all day, but even so how could she have missed it?

The creature had been on the ship the entire time, listening in to every little thing they had said to each other. It had listened to Luffy.

She had  _ spoken _ to it.

The entire chamber rocked with enough force to send her to her knees, and she cried out in shock, dropping her Clima Tact. It fell to the wet floor with an unsatisfying squish.

_ No! _

When she blinked again, however, there was a small pin of light from the wall.

She gasped. “Luffy! Zoro! Sanji-kun!”

She thought she heard a distant answer, but the pinhole was blocked in the next instant, and she squinted. There was just enough light, however. The mimic could not seal all of it.

However, now it was illuminated in shadow - Luffy’s silhouette blocked the light.

Cringing away when it lunged at her, Nami fell back.

It grabbed her leg, yanking her against itself. In her ear, it said, “Captain.”

“You are not my captain!” Nami raged, and she clawed at its face, feeling skin tear. “You don’t know me!”

It screamed, and clutched her hair, pulling until she shrieked. Instinctively, Nami reached up to grasp its hands in an attempt to ease the pain. She rose into the air as it lifted her, and her scream reached a pitch she didn’t think she had ever touched even as a child.

With nothing else to try, Nami kicked.

Hard.

Hissing, the creature in Luffy’s skin dropped to its knees, gaping into nothing as it released her to clutch its groin.

Growing accustomed to the light from the pinhole, Nami glanced around, and found her Clima Tact. Picking it up, she turned to face it again.

It snarled, baring what seemed like a horrible rictus.

The mimic rushed her, wrapping its arms around her waist to bring her down, and her head spun when it hit the ground. Groaning, Nami rolled onto her hands and knees as soon as she could. She picked up her Clima Tact again, and swung behind herself.

It snatched her weapon away, tossing it by her friends’ bodies. She crab walked away from it as it loomed.

Her hand hit something behind her, and she stiffened in alarm, turning to look. She squinted only to draw back with a shriek.

There was another body in the chamber, and she began to feel the fear again.

There were too many limbs. Too many joints. There were no lips.

It was full of bitemarks.

The thing in Luffy’s skin creeped closer. That  _ thing  _ wasn’t even its true shape.

“Nami-san!” Sanji.

“Nami! Answer us!” Zoro.

“Nami, where are you!?” Her insides wrenched.

It said, “They’re strong, Nami.”

Staring at the thing in astonishment, she began to smirk, and said, “That’s right. They’re monsters.”

Nami screamed.

It looked at her in shock before it lunged for her.

In the next instant, the chamber wall parted from a slash, and light flooded the insides from the ship’s eye beams.

Zoro jumped into the orange chamber. He only glanced at the pile of their friends’ bodies, one foot on the floor. She didn’t see his next step, but he was then by her side, and the mimic dodged, rolling away from a slashing katana.

It growled with Luffy’s throat, and charged for Zoro.

Sanji jumped in next, and its head met the underside of his shoe while Sanji straightened his tie.

It rolled with the force of the strike, and hit the chamber wall.

“Hey, copycat, you came to the wrong island,” Zoro said, lifting one katana to level it with the mimic’s face.

Its eye twitched - the one that should have had a scar beneath it.

Sanji sneered, and said, “It’s got too many arms for a copycat, shitty swordsman. Wanna fix that?”

“Huh, for once, you’re right.”

The mimic looked back and forth between the two, uncomprehending until it stared out the hole in the wall.

Luffy grabbed the railing of the ship, pulling and stretching himself back. The mimic gaped, watching as Luffy snapped forward, bowling into it.

She stared at the jumble of limbs, staring as Luffy got to his feet first, lifting the mimic up by its collar. In the light, Nami could see that it was wearing one of Franky’s shirts, and one of Luffy’s jean shorts.

It stared down at Luffy, still in shock.

“Hey, Luffy,” Zoro smirked, “I can make him match you, if you want. I can’t promise I won’t stop cutting though.”

“Nami.”

She stiffened, unable to see either mouth from her angle. Which one had said it?

“Get back to the ship.”

Jerking in alarm, she stared at his back before shoving up to her feet.

She only looked back once, and she cringed away when she heard the crunch of bones.

* * *

Nami waited on the deck, shaking as she watched the hole in the dome. As the three climbed out, Sanji nodded down to her, and she felt all the tension drain from her frame. They had been prepping the dome for the fireworks for most of the night now. Even though Nami had only watched, she was exhausted.

What had been a long night and day was now winding down into what felt like the small hours of the next day. She couldn’t see the sun still, but she could picture the rising dawn already.

First, the dome had to burn though.

Zoro jumped down to put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it.

“Ready?”

She twitched, looking up at Luffy and Sanji. It was still him, she told herself.

They had been loading the oil and explosives throughout the dome where they could reach. That dome was somehow alive, and from what she had heard, it was hard to navigate through the twisting corridors. Was that how it breathed? Was that its true form? Or had some mimic long ago mimicked this strange creature, and just stayed like that to carry the others? She didn’t think she wanted to know after all that had happened. She just wanted an end at last.

“Nami?” Luffy peered down at her, and she swallowed nothing as she felt a chill.

She hated it, but the sound of his voice was still making her skin crawl. Looking at him, and telling herself that he couldn’t be a mimic made her feel better. She didn’t think she would ever be more thankful that he had lost that arm, but that just made her feel worse.

_ Please, don’t let it show on my face. _ She nodded, not trusting herself to smile, “Yeah ... I’m ready.”

Sanji reached into his pocket for his lighter, but didn’t pull out a cigarette. He turned to Luffy who held out his oil soaked torch to the other man. Sanji took the time to light it, making sure it stayed lit before he leaped onto the ship to join them.

Luffy lingered in the hole, looking at what Nami could only imagine was their friends. The creatures had made a pile of them, but they had put them into a row as best they could. Some had refused to lie flat after what had happened to their bodies, and Nami had begged them to not force it. Enough damage had happened to their friends.

Like  _ Merry _ before, Nami watched Luffy’s lonely back.

“The sea floor is dark,” Luffy said. “So we’ll send you on your way, but now you’ll have each other ... until we come to meet you.”

The cook wrapped an arm around her shoulders while the swordsman just squeezed tighter. She bit her lip, feeling warm tears fall.

“Everybody ... thank you.” His fist tightened on the torch so hard that Nami could see him begin to shake. They couldn’t respond. So many of them at once just gone.

Luffy dropped the torch, and a fierce heat irradiated from the chamber as the floor lit up like a bonfire. Only seconds later, Nami heard an explosion from further along in the dome, and then another.

The trail of oil and fuel was working as intended, and soon the air was filled with the sound of the detonations.

A thin, keening wail joined it, and Nami flinched, but she stared straight ahead.

Luffy was still standing at the edge of the chamber.

She called out, stepping forward, “Luffy! Come back to the ship!”

“Yeah ...”

When he jumped onto the deck, Luffy pulled his hat down over his face. She hesitated, watching him, but then his shoulders shook.

When she rushed to his side, Zoro and Sanji were there too.

“Nami.”

She stopped herself from stiffening by wrapping her arms around her captain. Nami still trembled, but she forced herself to hold him. He was crying, and that thing was dead.

Her monsters held her tight.

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> Here's those lovely authors I joined for the event! Please, read theirs as well, and remember to mind their warnings. We're posting on FFN all throughout October, so if you don't see one yet, just wait a little while, or do yourself an injury and try reading them all on the 31st!
> 
> ArgentNoelle, AsgardianHobbit98, Babyvfan, Bewdofchaos, Brenna76, Caldera Valhallis, Count Morningstar, CrimsonRaine87, DancesWithSeatbelts, DemonOfTheFridge, DemonShippingQueen, Desna, Drawingdownthemoon, Elleurs, Ferith12, FreyjaBee, HisagiKirigakure, HoshisamaValmor, Iceburg-sanCPX, Jadeile, Kakashi97, Kamil the Awesome, Karkatsbabe, Kittyface27, KurohimeHaruko, Max333, Nazaki-Sama, NekoPantera, Nissa Fox, PhantomGypsy13, Phoenixreal, Potashiamu, RayeMoon, Rhearenee, Sailor Silver Ladybug, SensiblyTainted, SerenaJones.585, SereneCalamity, SesshomaruFreak, Seth's Kiss, Shnuggletea, Sigan, Silirt, Silverstar, Spunky0ne, Starfire93, Tartarun, The Token, TheBadIdeaBears, TsukikoUchu, WhatIDesireEternally, Wrath of Vajra, Xache, Yatsu Narurasuke, Yemi Hikari
> 
> I'd also like to thank Seth's Kiss, and NekoPantera for making this event a reality. It's been loads of fun talking to everyone that joined the discord chat.


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